The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1887-04-14

my little girl, as l nave none!
..And have a home, and yon be my
mamma. you mean?" asked Isabel,
With sparkling eyes.
THAT is it, my Baby Belle! Will
you?
And poo Myra waited with bated
breath. Heaven had been unkind. if
we dare say so, when she loved child
rem so.
Baby looked straight into the loving
brown eyes, then with a subdued sigh,
put down her golden head upon the
lady's breast and said:
'How good God was to send you
here to-day! Next week they were 60
ing to send me to the Orphans Home!"
How good God was to send me
here to-day!" Slowly Myra repeated
the words, and with white lips, a. if
per chance a sudden death lurked in
the sylables. Then she kissed away
the child's tears of Joy and relief. Pos
sibly after all, her strange temptation
and all was all a part of her Creators
plan, to teach her a lesson, and to BEN
eft the Baby Isabel, and kissing the
child, she prayed with pallid lips: Faith
err in heaven, permit me this to serve as
expiration for the foul sin ! have harbor-
ed in this weak and wretched heart!"
Then she SEM for the landlord.
From him she learned there was no one
known to. have any claim upon the
wall, and that truly enough she was in
a few days to have been consigned to
the asylum. She then explained her
wish to take the child, and also her po-
,;+;oo - %ho rr,o,.1I onl or,oncfr,foI
how much she could benefit the little
one. After all. Baby Belle herself was
sole mistress of her future and could
decide for herself. So she ran to gath
er her little belongings and bid adieu
to the maids who had befriended the
little orphan. In half an hour the re-
turn train would leave. Myra called
for pen and paper and essayed to write
a line for Lester. When leaving home
and husband she had written nothing!
There had been NJ effort to soften the
blow for Arthur! She held the pen in
her white hand and stared hard at the
street, the sky, the distant sea. How
could she tell it all to that gentle loverp
But time was flying, she must be gone,
she must never see him again!
Lester. Lester! 1 know your heart
will break,-mine may also. 1 can not
say forgive me, for God will not if l
fail in this last resolution. | dare not
think Of your grief. AS for myself, |
am dead. Remember me as dead, Les
ter, and God pity us both. 1 shall 60
back. We were in great error, l see it
now. I shall 90 back, but do you 60 on
to Europe, even as you would grant a
PRAYER TO a dying woman,-go! And
God grant we may never meet on earth
again. Wretchedly.
MYRA.
This she sealed, addressed, and order
ed delivered to DR.. Lester as soon as he
returned. Then, as though legions
from Hades were at her heels, she
grasped the child and hurried aboard
the train. She vas white as milk, and
sat four hours holding hard to the
child's hand, with head thrown back
and eyes tightly closed, her lips as pale
as death.
But one thought seemed to possess
her. She could indulge, poor thing. in
respite to her sorrow, for all the time
and all the same the train was sweeping
great miles of distance between them,
between her beaten heart and her sore
temptation,
1t was night, late night, when she
again reached home. AS the hired ear
riage swept up the old familiar drives
that she had thought never to see
again, she leaned forward in the moon
light VIII lie her tears fell fast. Truly,
she seemed a dead woman, revisiting
the scenes of home and happiness.
When was it she had left this place.
yesterday, last week, or years ago?
She could not decide. Providence
was kind-Arthur had not returned.
OF course not; he had not expected to
for days. Once again in her own room,
alone. Baby Belle sleeping in her bed,
she felt her courage come again. 1t
had been q close call, but she was safe!
Said she to her maid: Il am sorry
to disturb you at this hour, Anna, but |
do want my dresses removed at once
from the trunks and put again in their
proper places. 1 will reward you well,
don't fear. The lady 1 went to visit
had gone away, so l surprised myself
instead of her. And l have decided to
adopt this little girl, Anna; she was an
orphan and about to be sent to an asy-
lum, so I took her myself"
Poor Myra! she wanted no signs of
disturbance to meet even her w eyes
in the morning; she wanted to waken
in the morning and begin life just as
before, not even a misplaced dress or
ribbon to remind her of that hasty
flight to and fro.
All the hustle and stir was quieted.
the house once more in peace and
darkness; Myra had fallen into an I'M
easy slumber, from which she was
awakened by her husbands kiss, SO
unexpectedly and quietly had he re-
turned. After a little cry of fright
Myra said nothing.
"Nay, sweetheart, never turn SO
white and stare at me" he said, laugh
ing lightly. "Do you think 1 am a
burglar?"
When he turned on the gas and not
ed the beautiful child held SO close to
her heart. he whistled with amazement.
why, what's this?" And he stoop-
ed to inspect the little stranger.
His wife leaned on her elbow with
f:lkz- --sI $3.50, 4o ,oIa fonn